Dr. Jerome Sarris

Dr Jerome Sarris is a Senior Research Fellow (CR Roper Fellow) and Head of the ARCADIA Nutraceutical and Lifestyle Medicine and Mental Health Research Group at The University of Melbourne. Jerome moved from clinical practice as a Naturopath, Nutritionist, and Acupuncturist to academic work, and completed a doctorate at The University of Queensland in the field of psychiatry. He undertook his postdoctoral training at The University of Melbourne, Department of Psychiatry; The Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology; and The Depression Clinical & Research Program at Harvard Medical School (MGH). He has a particular interest in anxiety and mood disorder research pertaining to nutraceutical psychopharmacology, and in Complementary and Integrative Medicine and psychotropic plant medicine research.

Jerome has over 100 publications (1st/2nd/Senior author on 92% of publications) with an H-Index of 26 and over 2200 citations, and has published in many eminent psychiatry journals including The American Journal of Psychiatry, Lancet Psychiatry, and World Psychiatry. One key publication is the text Clinical Naturopathy: an evidence-based guide to practice in 2010 and the new edition in 2013 (Elsevier) under UoM. This seminal publication is currently a set text for many Naturopathic Medicine colleges in Australia and North America. Jerome has contributed to a range of complementary medicine and medical courses (providing key lectures on evidence-based nutraceutical, nutrition, & lifestyle elements).

He has completed (or currently conducting) over 20 clinical trials, 15 of which are double-blind RCTs (including being Chief Investigator-A of three National Health and Medical Research Council project grants). One key area of study involves the research of “Kava” a South Pacific medicinal plant that has been restricted for use in the EU, UK, and Canada. This has had a profound detrimental socio-economic effect on poorer Kava-producing nations. Through many research publications, collaborations, and media work we have provided a framework for safe use of Kava. Another area of research was a study of the naturopathic treatment of depression and anxiety.

Jerome is a founding Vice Chair and Board Member of The International Network of Integrative Mental Health (INIMH) In 2011. INIMH developed a “White Paper” on creating a specific disciple of “integrative psychiatry” (now published and disseminated). He was also appointed in 2014 on the Executive Committee of the International Society of Nutritional Psychiatry (ISNPR), an organisation created to advance the importance of nutritional and nutraceutical use in psychiatry. In 2015 ISNPR published a seminal position statement on the importance of nutrition medicine as mainstream within the mental health field.